Article-feeding device for candy machines



.lune 1 ,41926.

4 1,587,088 F. M. scHULER ET A1.

ARITICLE FEEDING DEVICE FOR CANDY MACHINES Filed Sept. 18, 1924 I/v VEN Toffs, ff Ffm/wf M. 5cm/L sfr.

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Patented .lune 1, 1926. p i y UNITED STATES PATENT FRANK M. lSCI'IU'LIEIR, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA, AND VALTER C. DRURY, 0F FULTON, ILLINOIS.

ARTICLEJTEEDING DEVICE FOR CANDY MACHINES.

Application filed. September 18,` 1924. Serial No, 738,391.

This invention relates to article feeding Referring to the drawings, a candy makdevices particularly adapted to feed nuts, ing machine of modern type is shown of cherries and similar articles. While the inwhich it will only be necessary to consider vention is applicable to dilferent machines, the frame member 1 having a top portion it is particularly designed for use with a o1' table 2 over which moves the top 1 of an candy making'machine in which a tray havendless traveling member 3 illustrated as in ing rows of molds the-rein is moved on a the form of a chain, said member being protraveling member. Such candy making mapelled by a sprocket 4; carried on a shaft chinos are now largely used for making va- 5 supported in suitable bearings at one end l rions pieces of candy such as nut bars, of the frame 1. The traveling member 3 @f5 nougats, etc. The tray having the molds carries trays 6 having therein ka plurality therein is moved on a traveling member and of molds 7 While the members 6 might be successively brought beneath the spouts of 0f various forms, it is' the usual practice to a container which discharges the desired have such members in the form of shallow l candy making materials therein. It has been boxes or trays filled with line starch in which "I0 the common practice to have a line of operthe depressions or molds are formed. ators on each side of the machine toplace The molds 7 are adapted successively to rethe nuts, cherries or other articles used in ceive various parts of the candy material the pieces of candy in the molds. The presand determine the shape of the piece. It is l0 ent machine is designed to simultaneously the common practice to make candy pieces 75 feed or place a large number of articles into containing nuts, cherries, and other similar the molds at one time. articles and it is for the purpose of placing It is an object of this invention to provide these articles that the present invention is a simple and efficient article feeding device designed.

comprising a hopper and carriers movable The traveling member 3 is intermittently 80 therethrough adapted singly to pick up the moved and while various mechanisms may articles and discharge them into directing be used for this purpose, in the embodiment means by which they are placed in the molds. of the invention illustrated, a ratchet wheel It is a further object of the invention to 8 is shown attached to the shaft 5 adapted provide such a feeding device comprising a to be engaged by a pawl 9 carried on one 85 hopper, adapted to be disposed over atravelend of an arm 10 of a lever journaled on ing member, having a series of endless con- `theshaft liavng a dOWIlwardly extending veyors moving therethrough provided with arm 11 provided with a plurality of longimeans for singly picking up the articlesV and tudinally spaced holes. A link 12 is adapted dropping the same into a series of chutes to have one end securedin one of the holes 9G which direct the same to the desired locain arm 11 and has its other end secured in tions, together with means for synchronously one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced moving said conveyors and the traveling holes formed in a swinging arm 13 pivotally member, mounted at its lower end on a stud or shaft 4U rlhese and other objects and advantages secured in frame 1. The arm 13 is oscillated 95 of the invention will be fully set forth in by means of a link or pitman 14, one end of the following description made in connecwhich is adapted to be received in one of the tion with the accompanying drawings in holes in arm 13, the other end of which is which like reference characters refer to the pivotally connected to a crank arm 15 carsame parts throughout the diiferent views, ried on a shaft 16 driven by a ulley 17 100 and in which, over which' travels a belt 18 whici will be Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a connected to some suitable source of power. portion of a candy making-machine showing The feeding device proper comprises a the invention applied thereto; Lhopper 2O shown as of general rectangular' Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the form, with one side inclined upwardly and '105 line 2-2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the aroutwardly. The hopper is provided with rows; and bearings adjacent the top and bottom of said Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the side in which are mounted shafts 21 and 22. line 3-3 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arwWhile either one of these shafts may be rows and shown on an enlarged scale. driven, in the embodimentof the invention 110 illustrated, the lower shaft 21 is shown as having a bellcrank 23 journaled on one end thereof, the upper arm ot which carries a pawl 24 adapted to engage the teeth on a ratchet wheel 25 secured to said shaft. rIhe lower arm ot lever 23 is pivoted to one end ot' a link 26, the other end of which is adapted to be pivotally connected in 'one ot the holes in the lever arm 11. The shafts 21 and 22 each have thereon a series of spaced sprocket wheels 27 and shaft 21 has a series ot filler members 28 ot cylindrical form thereon between said sprockets. Chains 29 extend over respective pairs .y ot alined sprockets on shatts 21 and 22, which chains carry small cups 80. rlhe sprockets 27 eX- tend into the hopper 20 and the chains 29 travel about said sprockets and pass upwardly through the hopper closely adjacent the rear or Vupwardly inclined side thereof. lt will be noted that the rear side wall ot the hopper terminates closely adjacent the upper sprockets 27 and extends down closely adjacent to the. filler members 28. The hopper 2O has a series ot openings in itsl bottom covered by flaps 19 which may be hinged as shown. Said flaps are either resilient or resiliently held in closed position so as to be litted by cups 30 as they pass into the hopper, and to close between the entrance ot successive cups. Disposed in the rear ot the hopper alined with each ot the chains 29 is a downwardly extending tube or spout 31 tapered towards its lower end and adapted to aline with one of the molds 7 in tray 6. The tubes or spouts 31 will be supported from the hopper in any convenient manner, as by the supporting arms shown.

In operation, the articles, such as the cherries, indicated in Fig. 3, will be placed in the hopper 20. By the rotation of the pulley 17, arm 13 will be oscllated, aswill also arms 11, and conveyor 3 will be intermittently progressed by the pawl 9 engaging the ratchet wheel 4. The speed of the conveyor will be properly regulated by placing the links 12 and lll in the proper holes in the arms 11 and 13. The ratchet wheel 25 will also be intermittently rotated through the link 26, and the chains 29 will be moved through hopper 20 in the direction indicated b v the arrow in Fig. 3. The linlr 26 can be adjusted in arms 11 to give the proper timing to the movement of chains 29. As the chains with the cups 30 move upwardly through the hopper, a cherry will become deposited in each ot the cups 8O and will be carried upwardly therein over the upper sprockets 27. As the cup passes over the top or" the sprocket the cherry will be discharged and will tall down into the upper end of one of the tubes 31. The tube 31 will guide the cherry down into the proper mold 7 the bottom of said tube terminating closely adjacent the mold. The device will must drop through tube 31.

be so timed that the mold cavity will be under the lower end ot' the tube 31 when the cherry drops therefrom and the mold will preferably at this time have just come to rest. .lt will be seen that during the period ot movement ot the parts the cherry is moved over the top of the conveyor 29 and W ith each movement, therefore, of the conveyor 3 a new row of molds 7 will be brought beneath the tubes 31 and the chains 29 will be so moved t iat a. row of cups will discharge the cherries into the tubes 31 with each of such movements of the conveyor 3. rl`he cherry or other article will thus be properly deposited in each of the molds 7 and it will be unnecessary to place any ot the articles in the molds by hand.

F rom the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and eliicient article feeding means adapted to properly place the article in the candy molds. The device is easily operated from the moving parts ot the candy machine and is conveniently mounted on said machine. The device eliminates the necessity Jfor a largenumber ot operators tor placing the articles and the entire action is automatic.

It will, ot' course, be understood, that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing trom the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable ot carrying out the objects above set forth such as shown and described and dened in the appended claims.

llhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a traveling conveyor ot a candy making machine and a member having a plurality ot rows of molds therein carried by said conveyor, of an ar ticle feeding device comprising a hopper supported adjacent said conveyor adapted to contain the articles to be ted, and automatic means comprising a series ot members movable through said hopper tor singly selecting articles from said hopper and depositing the same into said molds.

2. A candy making machine having in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor, a member carried thereby having a plurality ot rows ot molds therein, a hopper adapted to receive an irregular mass ot articles and intermittently movable means for selecting` articles from said hopper', and means directing said articles into a plurality ot said molds, said articles being singly delivered respectively to each mold of a row.

3. The combination with a traveling conveyor ot a candy making machine, and a member having a plurality ot rows of molds therein carried by said conveyor, of an article feeding device comprising a hopper adapted to contain the articles to be ted, a

aline with said molds to which the articlesV are successively delivered by said last mentioned means.

Ll. This structure set forth 1n cla-1m 3,

means for intermittently advancing saidconveyor to bring a row of molds under said discharge members, and means for moving the said series of carriers synchronously with said conveyor to discharge plurality of the articles into each row of molds one to each mold in said rows.

5. A candy making machine having in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor, a member carried thereby having a plurality of rows of molds therein, a hopper, a series of intermittently movable members carrying means for singly selecting articles from said hopper, means for directing the articles so selected to said molds, and means for synchronously moving said conveyor and said movable members.

6. A candy making machine having in com bination, a hopper, an intermittently moving` conveyor adapted to support a tray having rows of molds therein, a series of spout-s disposed across said conveyor and having lower ends, respectively, alining with the molds in one of said rows, a series of members movable through said hopper alined with said spouts and having means 'for selecting articles and delivering the same simultaneously to said spouts, and a common means for op erating said conveyor and n'iembers.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures.

FRANK M. soHULnR. WALTER o. DRURY. 

